June 26, 2026
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett on Tuesday, 23 June, welcomed young female honorary diplomats for a courtesy call ahead of International Day for Women in Diplomacy, commemorated on 24 June.
The “Diplomat for a Day” initiative, organised locally by The Imperial House, Guyana, provides young Guyanese women with the opportunity to shadow a head of a diplomatic mission.
Twelve females between the ages of 17 and 30 years from secondary schools across Guyana, the University of Guyana and public sector agencies were part of this year’s initiative, which was supported by the High Commission of Belize, High Commission of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Embassy of Suriname, Embassy of Mexico, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.
On Tuesday afternoon, the young women met with the CARICOM Secretary-General and senior officials from her office, who discussed women in diplomacy and provided insight on their individual professional journeys.
They also engaged with the Programme Manager for Youth Development, Michele Small-Bartley, who informed them about initiatives targeting young people, including the CARICOM Young Professionals Programme; and the Director, CARICOM Single Market, Ms. Gladys Young, who facilitated a session on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. The honorary diplomats also participated in an education session and tour of the CARICOM Secretariat.
The young women were accompanied by the High Commissioner of Belize to Guyana, Her Excellency Gale Miller-Garnett, and Executive Director, The Imperial House, Mr. Wasim Khan.
June 24 was designated International Day for Women in Diplomacy in 2022 at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly through a resolution co-sponsored by Guyana.